Open Pre-Match Jitters

[Abian Hunter]

Abian had been happy to try out for the Quidditch team, and he had been delighted to make it. But now that his first real match was coming closer, he was starting to get anxious. He had gone out to the pitch to practice on his own a lot, but still didn't really feel ready for it. He had gone from being rejected from the team entirely last year, to being one of the regular chasers. He was happy not to be an alternate, but he did worry that it would be too difficult for him to adjust to the new position. He really wanted to do well and not disappoint his team. The boy was sitting at a table in the Student Lounge with a Quidditch magazine open, a stack of older issues next to him. He was taking notes on every tip or technique for chasers in them, at least the ones that looked like he might be able to do them. He had written on quite a large piece of parchment by now, and was taking it way more seriously than he usually took his homework. Bent over his work, he frowned at the page as he tried to imagine what the match would be like. Would he even remember any of this? What if he was horrible?

 

[Amethyst Michaels]

Amaya held her journal in her arms as she made her way to the student lounge. She'd kept to herself for the most part during her time at school. Not that she minded so much. Things were always so hectic at home, she enjoyed the peace she got here. She paused as she walked into the room. Hey, there was Abian. It wasn't often she went looking for company, but she supposed it was alright if company found her. In a way, that was. She took a seat across from him, looking to all the magazines. "Getting into Quidditch?" She asked, noticing how much he'd written.

 

[Abian Hunter]

Abian looked up as a girl sat down across from him, and smiled when he recognized Amaya. The Slytherin girl was one of his friends, and he hadn't seen her in a while. "Yeah." He said, sounding a little miserable about it all. "I made the team. And that was exciting. But now the match is soon and I don't know what I'm doing." He bit his lip for a moment, looking at his notes. "I have no idea if any of this is useful, but I can't sit around and do nothing to prepare... I don't want to make a fool of myself out there." He sighed, running a hand over his face before slumping down in his seat. "What if I fall off my broom?" He asked, only half joking. It had happened in a nightmare that he kept having about the match, and now it was all he could think about.

 

[Amethyst Michaels]

Amaya nodded as he said he'd made the team, listening as he explained himself. "It's your first game, right? You'll be fine." She tried to reassure him, but he wasn't listening. "Well, the key to doing anything decently is to prepare yourself so you have some idea what you're doing." She tried to assure him again, but then he asked her a stupid question. Annoyance flashed across her face. She reached across the table and flicked his nose. "Don't be an idiot." She chided him. "If you're novice enough to fall off your broom, then you shouldn't be on the team. They put you on because they saw you have talent. You're obviously good enough that falling off your broom isn't going to happen." She scolded him. Really, what a question.

 

[Abian Hunter]

Abian nodded. "I wasn't even an alternate last year." He told her with a small sigh. "So my first game ever will also be my first game where I play. I don't know..." He trailed off, looking uncertain. Usually, Abian was able to hide his insecurities behind a smile and a joke, but he was getting too nervous about this match to do that. Amaya told him he had to prepare himself, which was what he was doing. But then she flicked his nose, which made him look at her in surprise. "Ow!" Rubbing his nose. "I'm just saying... maybe I forget how to fly and fall off!" He then paused. "Alright, that does sound unlikely." He admitted. "But don't you ever worry about stuff like that?" How could anyone be so confident? He usually seemed confident as well, but for him it was mostly pretending. He didn't think it was the same for Amaya.

 

[Amethyst Michaels]

Amaya raised her brow as Abian mentioned forgetting to fly. She raised her hand to flick his nose again but lowered it as he corrected himself. She smiled at him as he questioned her in turn. "Of course," She told him. "Why do you think I don't speak to anyone outside of you and my family?" She leaned back in the chair and crossed her legs. "I already know no one will care for my blunt manner, so why bother?" She shook her head. "The nerves aren't going to go away, Abian. But they put you on the team for a reason. You'll be fine." She ran a hand through her hair.

 

[Abian Hunter]

Abian frowned a bit at Amaya's words. "You don't know that." He told her. "I like your bluntness. I'm sure there's more people that would, if you let them nearby enough." He gave her a small smile. "And more people that need some good advice." He picked up an apple and tossed it up and caught it again, seemingly a nervous habit. he closed the magazine for now. He sighed. "I'm sorry. It's just hard not to worry, but I'll try to remember that." He looked at the apple in his hand, then tossed it up again. "Are you gonna watch the game?" He asked as he caught it. "We're playing your house." He knew Amaya's cousin was on the Slytherin team, so assumed she would cheer for her.

 

[Amethyst Michaels]

Amaya shrugged. "Once in a rare while, perhaps. I just don't care to get emotionally invested for nothing." She gave him a small smile. "Good advice is only considered as such if it's taken. Otherwise, it's just pretty words." She ran a hand through her hair, a habit picked up from watching her cousin. She watched his apple tossing idly. "Perhaps," Her eyes followed the fruit. "My cousin and I aren't particularly close, and she's only an alternate. The chances of her playing are rather slim." She shrugged. "I might go to see if you fall off your broom, however," She gave him a sly smile.

 

[Abian Hunter]

Amaya's words made Abian feel a bit sad for her. It sounded lonely, thinking like that. But he had no idea if she felt that way, and it felt odd to ask her. He shrugged. "Sometimes people need advice and then to think on it for a while before they do anything with it. Or maybe they just need to hear it to know they're not alone." He said earnestly. "It's nice to know someone else is thinking about something that's bothering you and trying to find solutions, and that you're not dealing with it on your own. Even if you end up not taking someone's exact advice." He said, giving her a small smile. He put the apple on the table and laughed a she joked about him falling off his broom. "Alright, only if you promise to get a picture of my face when I do." He said with a smile. He wondered why Amaya wasn't close to her cousins. He often wished he had more family at Hogwarts, but his own sister wasn't usually very sociable. But it didn't feel like his place to ask. "Have you ever played?" He asked instead.

 

[Amethyst Michaels]

Amaya was quiet a moment as she considered Abian's words. "Alright, maybe." She conceded. She took the apple as he put it down, sitting back in her chair and taking a bite. She smiled a bit. "Alright, deal." She took another bite as he asked her if she played. "Nah. If I get on a broom I like to take it slow and enjoy the wind in my hair, take in the view. I don't fancy being taken out by a bludger." She teased, giving him a small smile.

 

[Abian Hunter]

Abian was pretty pleased that Amaya didn't just dismiss his words right away, and gave her a smile even as she stole his apple. He was glad she went along with his joke, though he hoped she didn't really have to take a picture of his face when he fell off his broom. "Well, we should fly together sometime then. Though I think you don't get hit by bludgers that often. Unless you play seeker." He said with a small shrug. "You should try a more casual match sometime, if we can find enough people to play."

 

[Amethyst Michaels]

Amaya snorted. "Yeah, you weren't at the last Slytherin practice. The beaters actually had to stop hitting the bludgers so they didn't take the whole team out." She snickered a little. "Sorry. My cousin was using her bat to take out her anger about her break up." She shook her head. "I might play a mock game with you sometime," She offered lightly. "Depending on who else joins the game."

 

[Abian Hunter]

Abian's mouth dropped open when Amaya described the Slytherin practice. "Wow, really?" He laughed a little nervously. "I guess it makes sense, the Slytherins tend to hit hard during matches too." At least, from what he remembered. "Oh, I'm sorry for your cousin." He said, a small frown on his face. "Is she okay?" He didn't know Amaya's cousin that well, but a break up sounded rough. "Awesome, that sounds great. I should ask some of my friends. Maybe Vader would be good? Do you know him?"

 

[Amethyst Michaels]

Amaya shrugged. "I dunno. She doesn't talk about it." She took a bite of the apple. "It's none of my business anyway. If she doesn't act like something's wrong there's nothing I can do about it. Tell her brother that, though." She shook her head. "I think the whole thing is overrated." That was true. Sapphire was a bit overrated. As was her boyfriend. Not that Amaya was against romance. She loved it. Not that she would tell anyone, though. She considered his question. "Know of him, maybe. Sapphire is friends with Avaria, the little blond Ravenclaw. I think they're friends. I can probably bring the twins or Ava." She thought a moment. "What about that Kingsley boy?"

 

[Abian Hunter]

Abian nodded when Amaya said her cousin didn't really talk about it. "She must be sad about it, then." He said with a small shrug. "I hope she gets better." He didn't really understand why Amaya would say it wasn't her business. If any of his family members were sad, he'd probably try to cheer them up. But Amaya was a very independent person, and Abian figured she wouldn't want any help herself. Maybe her cousin was the same. "What is overrated. Dating?" He asked, curious about her meaning. "Have you ever had a boyfriend? Or... girlfriend?" He tried to ask it casually, as if he hadn't been thinking about kissing a girl or a boy lately, and what the difference between that would be. He nodded as she explained how she knew of Vader. "That would be good, if you bring the twins or her." He said with a smile. His smile dropped a bit when she asked about Jacob. "I dunno. I think he'd have better things to do... real Quidditch practice." He said evasively. "I mean. He's the Gryffindor captain now. That's the real deal." He somehow felt embarrassed at the idea of suggesting a mock game to Jacob, worried it was childish. "Though he's friends with Sapphire's brother, right? So maybe..." He still wasn't sure, but he did think it was fun if Jacob was there too.

 

[Amethyst Michaels]

Amaya blushed a little as Abian dug into her comment. She cleared her throat a little. "Have you seen Valentine's day? Complete overkill." She shrugged off, hoping he bought it. She chuckled at his question. "No, nobody." She told him. "Either or. Mostly guys, maybe a girl if she was nice or pretty enough." She took the last bite of her apple. "What about you?" She asked. She thought a bit about the Quidditch game. "It could be fun. I'll see who I can find to jump on a game if you do the same." She shrugged.

 

[Abian Hunter]

Abian shrugged. "People seem to like it, and that's nice, right?" He asked her. He nodded when she said she had never had a boyfriend or a girlfriend. He was a bit relieved when she seemed open to both, as that was similar to how he felt. It was nice to know he wasn't alone in that. At her question in return, he shook his head. "Nope." Was all he said with a shrug. He nodded a she went on about Quidditch, a safer topic. "Maybe when all the real matches are over... just for fun without rivalry." Abian said hesitantly.